Megan Schutt, Matthew Short named Adelaide Strikers MVPs

Adelaide Strikers vice-captain Megan Schutt has been named as their Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, Player of the Tournament Matthew Short won the Strikers’ men’s MVP award for the second consecutive season. The women’s team won the eighth edition of the WBBL.

The Australian bowler Schutt picked up 27 wickets in the 2022-23 WBBL season. The 30-year-old had produced a stunning performance against Sydney Thunder women at the North Sydney Oval in November. She took figures of 6-19 and became the first WBBL player to take a six-wicket haul. Notably, her performance throughout the tournament helped the Strikers to clinch their maiden title. 

Schutt won the MVP as she beat her Australian teammate Amanda-Jade Wellington (13) and Proteas batter Laura Wolvaardt (12) to claim the award.

Matthew Short, on the other hand, became the first Adelaide Strikers player to win the Player of the Tournament and the Strikers MVP in the same season. The 27-year-old Australian opener was the second-leading run-scorer of the 12th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL), scoring 458 runs from 14 innings at an average of 35.23. He also picked 11 wickets at an economy rate of 7.14 and took seven catches last season.

Short also hit his maiden BBL century for Strikers this season against Hobart Hurricanes at the Adelaide Oval on January 5. He scored 100* off 59 balls in the highest run chase in BBL history (230 runs). He finished off in style bringing up both the win and his ton with a boundary. Notably, he captained the Strikers in that game in Peter Siddle's absence.

The Australian cricketer finished on top of the MVP standings with 46 votes after 14 three-vote games. He defeated Australia batter Chris Lynn and New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme who came second and third respectively. 

Matthew Short to play for PBKS in IPL 2023

Short will next take part in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which will get underway on March 31. He was named as the replacement for Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) English keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow who has been ruled out of the entire IPL season, owing to an injury he sustained in September 2022.

PBKS will kickstart their IPL 2023 campaign against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mohali on April 1.